Environments and Wellbeing
I’ve been doing work recently on how environments impact wellbeing and the benefits of putting creative work and nature in wellbeing environments.
The spaces we inhabit—whether at work, in public, or at home—can significantly impact our wellbeing.
Here are a few key environmental factors that help to build psychological resilience:
Reducing environmental stressors
Natural sunlight exposure helps to regulate circadian rhythm activity. This benefits sleep hygiene as well as a myriad of other bodily processes. It can also help to boost dopamine levels, enhancing mood and wellbeing.
Surfaces like wood, compared to steel, have been shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure, creating calmer environments.
Creating spaces that provide a sense of hominess, comfort and safety
A study by Anjan Chatterjee showed that when people view enclosed spaces, a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex lights up, this is an area that receives information from anxiety centers in the brain, indicating that not only do people prefer open to enclosed spaces, enclosed spaces can actually stimulate an anxiety response.
Curved shapes and open spaces are evocative of things in nature and can promote feelings of safety and warmth.
Creating social spaces
Humans are inherently social beings, social isolation can have profound effects of cognition being linked to depression and shrinking the memory centers of the brain (reducing grey matter volume in the hippocampus), even contributing to early onset alzheimers. At a time when remote work is at an all time high, creating spaces that foster community, belonging, and connecting with others is essential for cognitive wellbeing.
Incorporating art and creativity in public spaces
This not only adds a source of novelty, wonder and curiosity for the brain, enriched environments can also reduce stress, stimulate creativity, and social connection.
